How To Travel-fy Your Haircare Routine

When you travel, if you want to travel light, there are some things you have to change. While it can be easy to get caught up in routines, and it's important to keep some of them intact wherever you go, sometimes you need to switch things up to fit your travel lifestyle. We don't compromise on our strict carry-on only policy unless it's coming back from vacation and checking a bag with our too-many-purchases is less expensive than shipping back the spill over. That being said, we are always looking for ways to pack less and lighter. 

Now, I'm not willing to have a bad hair day in exchange for more packing space if that's my option, so I'm betting I'm hardly the only one. Want to look your best while still keeping everything in your small bag?

Decant your fave products into smaller containers

This seems like a no-brainer, but some people are still trying to pack full-size products and checking their bags because of it. I'm not going to pay an extra $35 for my shampoo to fly, especially when I'm not going to need a giant bottle of it for a week or two. Washing your hair everyday isn't good for it, unless you're spending all your time in the pool or ocean and need to get the chemicals out. Either way, a 3oz bottle should last you more than two weeks, even with everyday shampooing. Make a run to Target, pick up a selection of travel bottles and jars if your fave products don't come in smaller sizes and decant, decant, decant. Only need a smidge? Use contact cases for things like moisturizer that you need very little of.

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Make use of dry shampoo

If you don't know how to break out of the shampoo everyday rut, try a dry shampoo. You can find small spray bottles at your salon or in the hair care aisle of your favorite drugstore. Make your own at home and save money. it's easy. Here's how.

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Switch to shampoo bars

This is a favorite in my travel bag. I save room in my 3-1-1 for more important stuff, like contact solution and moisturizer, by packing a solid shampoo and conditioner. I buy mine from Lush, but they have them at Basin and several other places. They work like soap, but come in a variety of ingredients for different types of hair, just like regular shampoo. A bonus is that they last for a really long time, so you won't have to refill your shampoo after every trip like you might now. Another bonus: no spillage. I hate that.

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Downsize to travel-size hair appliances

Bringing your hair appliances from home is a good idea, since you know how they work and will make you feel better about yourself if you're used to using them all the time. I travel with a straightener by Conair, but not the same one I use everyday. It's large and bulky. Instead, I've opted for the smaller, travel-size one. It actually works better and takes up a heck of a lot less space in my carry-on. I have one that has a rounded edge, so I can use it to straighten or curl. I love a multi-purpose tool. More and more companies are making mini versions of their popular hair care appliances, and it's smart to invest in them, plus you can always keep it packed in your bag, so you don't forget it.

Don't bother taking a blow dryer

I know this is a controversial one. I tend to take showers at night and let my hair air dry, or spritz in some beach spray (see below), so I can scrunch and go, but I know there are people who swear by blow drying. I'm not one of them, because I'm lazy, but sometimes I use one. That said, almost all hotels and even many vacation rentals supply hair dryers for their guests. Save room in your bag and leave yours at home. If you must bring one though, try to find a travel version, so you aren't taking up half your carry-on with an unnecessarily large device.

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Instead of a curling iron, use sea salt spray for beach curls

I've discovered the beauty of beach curls/waves. I like it, because I can jump out of the shower, spray this in, scrunch it up and get on with my day. So much easier than taking out the curler, waiting for it to heat up and meticulously curling strand after strand. It saves me time, which I am grateful for. It can also work on dry hair, but I've been less successful with that. I'd say to just spray your hair with water first and then add the sea salt spray for best results.

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Use sunscreen

Don't forget that your hair is just as susceptible to sun damage as your skin. Rub some sunscreen in your palms and run your hands through your hair to avoid leeching your color. This also adds a bit more needed moisture too. If you're worried about it not blending in, dilute it with a little water. If you wear a part in your hair, make sure to dab some sunscreen there as well. There's nothing worse than a burnt (and eventually peeling) scalp. 

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Go au naturale

Put your clothes back on, because I'm still talking about your hair. If you're okay with saving time in the morning with tools and unneeded products, feel free by leaving your hair as it naturally is. Don't curl your straight hair or straighten your curly hair. You might find you don't hate it. If all else fails, make it easier to deal with by putting it in a braid or messy bun.

Do you have travel hair care tips that save time or luggage space?

Eating Cheaper on Your Vacation

One of the most exciting parts of traveling, besides going somewhere new, is trying new food. Are you always thinking about when and where you’re going to eat next? Do you want to eat your way through the city? With all the fresh air and walking one gets while out sightseeing, it might be the thrill of being in a new city or because all the extra exercise, but it feels like you just ate and are hungry again! 

Unfortunately, it’s impractical to eat all day. Not just because it’s unhealthy, but also because it’s totally unaffordable. Plus, how would you get any sightseeing done? Even if you eat just three times a day, you’re going to need some tips on how to do it inexpensively, so at least you don’t go broke doing it. Here are just a few of the rules to follow to get the best bargains and keep your wallet from emptying out by the end of the first day.

Bring snacks!

Trick your stomach by bringing snacks with you in your bag each day. This way, if you’re tempted to nibble on something, you know you have them on you and are less likely to spend money on food you don’t really need.

Eat where the locals eat

Just by avoiding touristy areas, you can save a lot on your meals. When you’re out, ask a few people where they recommend. They aren’t going to tell you they prefer a chain restaurant over their favorite local pub. The food is likely more authentic than those that you can find right near tourist attractions, making it cheaper, because it’s local and not shipped in from a different country.

Make lunch your main meal

If you really want to try one of the “hip” restaurants by a celebrity chef, make reservations for lunch. The food will be just as good, but it’s usually much cheaper at lunch than at dinner. 

Hit up the food carts

Food carts can have a huge variety of different local and international foods, but can be half the price of (or less) than dining at a sit-down restaurant. With this kind of savings, you can try fare from several carts with no regrets.

Rent a vacation home or stay in a hotel with a kitchen(ette)

This is a great way to stretch a food budget, because there are so many options. Renting can be a great value over hotel stays if you’ll be visiting for a week or more, plus it gives you the chance to check out the local grocery store. If you aren’t a big breakfast person, instead of eating out for that meal, shop for new cereals and pastries that you can’t get at home. There’s never a better time to try new foods!

Stay at a hotel that offers free breakfast

You don’t realize how much dining out can cost until you go on vacation. A reasonable breakfast can cost between $8-15 per person. If you multiply that by the number of people you’re traveling with and the number of days you’ll be staying, that number can be huge. If you find a hotel in your price range that offers free breakfast, you’ve hit a jackpot of savings.

Sign up for Groupon

Groupon is an amazing little site that offers daily deals on a wide assortment of things, not least of which is dining. Each day a new offer goes up at a big discount off the regular price. Dining certificates can be purchased quite often and many times you can grab a half-off gift certificate to a new local restaurant or one just trying to bring in new customers. It works! Sign up at Groupon for the destination of your next vacation (they cover many international locations as well as the United States) and eat for less!

Don’t order off the kids' menu

If you travel with children, you’ll notice that all kids' menus seem to have the same small rotation of foods. Obviously, little ones don’t just live on hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets and PB&J sandwiches. Not only do they charge an outrageous amount for these “staples” that cost hardly anything to make, but they offer hardly any nutritional value and your kids are likely to eat only half of it before declaring they’re full. Instead, order a meal that you both will eat and share. This saves you money and might get them to eat a vegetable or two.

This is just a small list of things you can do to help stretch your food budget on your future trips, but they can save you quite a bit. Remember, the more money you save on meals, the more money you can spend on doing something else!


How do you like to save money on your vacation meals?

Stop Packing These 5 Things

I used to pack a bunch of things when I traveled. Over the years, I've learned what is a must and what should stay home in order to get the most use out of it and allow me to carry-on my belongings and save baggage fees. Every time I travel, I get better and better at packing, especially when returning to places that I've been several times. 

Of course, I still make mistakes – like when I decided I didn't want to take a rain jacket to Orlando – but that's me being human. I'm willing to continue to learn. Fortunately, I've learned these five important lessons when traveling and it makes me a more efficient packer/traveler.

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Umbrella

I’ll admit it. I live in Oregon, where it rains…a lot. I’m used to it and I couldn’t even tell you where any of the umbrellas I own are located. I either just walk around in it or put on my rain jacket, because if I didn’t, I’d never really go anywhere for a majority of the year. Umbrellas are impractical and take up space in my travel bag and can only be used in one situation. If it’s windy when it rains, they’re useless.

What to pack instead: Get a good, lightweight, packable rain jacket with hood. This will free up your hands, keep you drier and won’t poke out people’s eyes if you’re in a crowded area (like the theme park). If you’re traveling somewhere warm, it can also be thrown on when inside an air conditioned space or a cold snap happens. Multi-purpose.

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High Heels (impractical shoes)

If I can’t walk all day in a pair of shoes without wanting to cut off my feet, then they aren’t coming with me in my bag, with the exception of flip flops that I can wear to the pool, down to the lobby or to the grocery store. Uncomfortable shoes or high heels rarely get worn on vacation, because after walking all day, your feet already hurt and squeezing your feet into a pair of stilettos sounds like more torture than usual.

What to pack instead: A nice pair of sandals or ballet flats that work with your shorts, pants and dresses and have good support, so you can wear them out sightseeing and then to a nice dinner in the evening.

1 outfit per day

Okay, this is a complete no-no for those packing light to avoid checking a bag. You don’t need 14 tops and 14 bottoms and 9 pairs of shoes. You just don’t.

What to pack instead: Be creative and pick a color scheme for your clothing, so that you can mix and match. All your tops should be able to go with all your bottoms and give you the maximum use of everything. I like to go with this equation: 5 tops + 3 bottoms = 15 unique outfits. Throw a dress into the mix and your travel outfit (that one you wore on the plane) and make your travel wardrobe even larger. Maybe you’ll have to do a little laundry. Suck it up.

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All your makeup

Let’s face it. You probably have a crapload of cosmetics in your bathroom and you probably use only 5-10% of what you have on any given day. Leave that giant makeup bag at home and go a little more natural.

What to pack instead: Smaller sizes, the bare necessities and multi-use products. If you missed my last post on your summer beauty bag, check it out for more help on this.

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Books/magazines

Okay, I’m not telling you not to read, but books and magazines are bulky and take up valuable space you need for more important things, like pants.

                                                                                                          

What to pack instead: Take a magazine (or two) and load up your phone or tablet with your favorite books and mags. I will take a magazine just for the parts of my flight where I can’t have my electronics on, but I tend to read or play a game on my tablet or play a game with my husband the rest of the flight. My tablet packs a ton in a small package and saves me a lot of room. Just remember your backup battery. Leave your read magazine behind for someone else on the next flight, and voila! You've gotten rid of an extra thing.

I stick by all these tips for every trip I take, just so I don’t overpack and can pack as light as possible. Being able to carry all my own baggage is key. If you’ve ever tried to drag everything you own up three flights of stairs after a 12-hour – or even a 2-hour – flight, then you know the pain of packing more than you need.

What items do you make sure to leave at home and what do you pack instead?